When some parents bring a newborn baby home, they arrange a bassinet or other baby bed in their bedroom for the infant to sleep in. Parents may do this to make it convenient for the times they need to get up during the night to feed and change their baby. It also gives them comfort, especially new parents, that they can hear if their baby coughs or fusses. There is also an element of uneasiness that is relieved when a parent looks into the bassinet at their sleeping baby, watching the infant's chest rise and lower to the slow cadence of breathing motion. Often times this visual confirmation requires the parent to sit up or get out of bed, turn a light on, lean over and wait for their eyes to adjust and focus. What is needed is a way for a parent or guardian to observe the breathing motion of a sleeping infant from their own bed or another location remote from the infant.
What is disclosed is a baby monitoring light system including a light body having a bottom portion and a top portion, the light body having a height generally shorter than at least one of the light body width and length, the light body comprising a light source oriented upwardly from the top portion, the light body adapted to project a light beam upwardly onto a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away; and optionally, a blanket comprising a pocket, the light body positionable in the pocket, the pocket having a space through which the light source projects when the light body is in the pocket.
In one alternative, the baby monitoring light system includes a releasable fastener attachable to a blanket.
The baby monitoring light system may include a lantern housing having a desired shape, the lantern housing including an attachment portion having an opening into the lantern housing, the light body releasably attachable to the attachment portion positioned relative to the opening such that the light source is oriented through the opening into the lantern housing.
The baby monitoring system may include a recharging base, and optionally may include a lantern cover over the recharging base.
Also disclosed is a movement monitoring system including a light body having a shape having a bottom portion and a top portion, the light body having a height generally shorter than at least one of the light body width and length, the light body comprising a light source oriented upwardly from the top portion, the light body adapted to project a light beam upwardly onto a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away; a grid of light detecting sensors positionable on a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away from the light, the light detecting sensors operatively attached to a controller programmed to receive signals from the light detecting sensors and determine movement of the light across the grid, and an alarm programmed to signal when a determined movement of light across the grid is outside of a predetermined pattern.
A method of monitoring a baby is disclosed including steps of wrapping an infant in a blanket; positioning the infant on its back, attaching a light to the blanket, the light comprising a light body having a shape having a bottom portion and a top portion, the light body having a height generally shorter than at least one of the light body width and length, the light body comprising a light source oriented upwardly from the top portion, the light body adapted to project a light beam upwardly onto a surface approximately 5 to 15 feet away directing the light upwardly to a ceiling or wall. Then, monitoring the movement of the light on the ceiling or wall.
These and other novel features of the subject matter of the present application, as well as details of illustrated embodiments thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.